minifter of the circumcifion for the truth of God. If we Rom. xv.8. look on him as the fucceffor of Mofes, in that he reprefenteth Jefus, inafiuch as the Law was given Johni. 17. by Mofes, but Grace and Truth came by Jefus Chrift. If we look on him as now Judge and Ruler of Ifrael, there is scarce an action which is not clearly predictive of our Saviour. He begins his office at the banks of (d) Jordan, where Chrift is baptized, and enters upon the publick exercise of his prophetical office. He choofeth there twelve men out of the people, to carry twelve ftones over with them; as our Jefus thence began to choofe his (e) twelve Apostles, those foundation-ftones in the Church of God, whofe names are in the twelve foundations of the Rev.xxi.14. wall of the holy City, the new ferufalem. It hath been (f) obferved, that the faving Rahab the Harlot alive, foretold what Jefus once thould fpeak to the Jews. Verily I fay unto you, that the Publicans and Matt.xxi. go into the kingdom of God, before you. He jol. x. 12, faid in the fight of Ifrael, Sun, ftand thou still upon 13. Gibeon: and the fun food fill in the midst of heaven, and hafted not to go down about a whole day. Which great miracle was not only wrought by the power of him whofe name he bare, but did alfo (g) fignify that in the latter days, toward the fetting of the fun, when the light of the world was tending unto a night of darkness, the Sun of Righteousness fhould arife with healing in his wings, and, giving a check to the approaching night, become the true light which light- John i. 9. eth every man that cometh into the world.

Harlots

But to pafs by more particulars, Joshua fmote the Amalekites, and fubdued the Canaanites; by the first making way to enter the land, by the fecond giving poffeffion of it. And Jefus our Prince and Saviour, whofe kingdom was not of this world, in a fpiritual manner goeth in and out before us against our fpiritual enemies, fubduing Sin and Satan, and fo opening and clearing our way to Heaven; deftroying the laft enemy, Death, so giving us poffeffion of eternal life.

Thus

31.

Luke i. 69, 71.

1 John iii. 23, 24.

(b) Thus do we believe the Man called Jefus to have fulfilled in the highest degree imaginable, all which was but typified in him who firft bare the name, and in all the reft which fucceeded in his office, and fo to be the Saviour of the world; whom God hath raised up, an horn of falvation for us, in the house of his fervant David, that we should be faved from our enemies, and the hands of all that hate us.

The neceffity of the belief of this part of the Article is not only certain, but evident: because there is no end of Faith without a Saviour, and no other name but this by which we can be faved, and no way to be faved by him but by believing in him. For this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift, and he that keepeth his commandment dwelleth in him and he in him. From him then, and from him alone, must we expect Salvation, acknowledging and confeffing freely there is nothing in ourselves which can effect or deferve it from us, nothing in any other creature which can promerit or procure it to us. For 1 Tim. ii. 5. there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and Men, the Man Chrift Fefus. It is only the beloved Son in whom God is well pleafed, he is cloathed with a vefture dipt in blood: he hath trod the wine-prefs alone. Ifa. liii. 6. We like sheep have gone aftray, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. By him God hath reconciled all things to himself, by him, I fay, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. By him alone is our Salvation wrought for his fake then only can we ask it, from him alone expect it.

Col. i. 2c.

Luke ii. 10,

11.

Secondly, this belief is neceffary, that we may delight and rejoice in the name of Jesus, as that in which all our happiness is involved. At his nativity an Angel from Heaven thus taught the Shepherds, the first witneffes of the bleffed incarnation; Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour which is Chrift the Lord. And what

the

the Angel delivered at prefent, that the Prophet Ifaiah, that old Evangelift, foretold at diftance. When the people which walked in darkness fhould fee Ifa. ix. 2, 6, a great light; when unto us a child fhould be born, unto 3. us a fon fhould be given; then should they joy before God according to the joy of harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the Spoil. When God fhall come with re- Ifa xxxv. 4, compence, when he shall come and fave us; then the ranfomed of the Lord fhall return, and come to Sion with fongs, and everlasting joy upon their heads.

10.

26.

Thirdly, The belief in Jefus ought to inflame our affection, to kindle our love toward him, engaging us to hate all things in refpect of him, that is, fo far as they are in oppofition to him, or pretend to equal share of affection with him, He that loveth fa- Matt. x. 37ther or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loveth fon or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, faith our Saviour; fo forbidding all prelation of any natural affection, because our spiritual union is far beyond all fuch relations. Nor is a higher degree of love only debarred us, but any equal pretenfion is as much forbidden. If any man come to me, faith the Luke xiv. fame Chrift, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and fifters, yea and his own life alfo, he cannot be my difciple. Is it not this Jefus in whom the love of God is demonftrated to us, and that in fo high a degree as is not expreffible by the pen of man? God fo loved the world, that he John iii. 16, gave his only-begotten Son. Is it not he who fhewed his own love to us far beyond all poffibility of parallel? for greater love hath no man than this, that a man John xv.13. lay down his life for his friends: but while we were yet Rom. . %. finners, that is, enemies, Chrift died for us, and fo became our Jefus. Shall thus the Father fhew his love in his Son? fhall thus the Son fhew his love in himfelf? and fhall we no way ftudy a requital? or is there

any proper return of love but love? The voice of the Church, in the language of Solomon, is, My Cant. ii. 7. love: nor was that only the expreffion of a Spouse, and iii. 5.

but

and viii. 4.

but of (i) Ignatius, a man, after the Apostles, moft remarkable. And whofoever confidereth the infinite benefits to the fons of men flowing from the actions and fufferings of their Saviour, cannot choose but 1 Cor. xvi. conclude with St. Paul, If any man love not the Lora Jefus Chrift, let him be Anathema, Maran-atha.

22.

Laftly, The confeffion of faith in Jefus is neceffary to breed in us a correfpondent efteem of him, and an abfolute obedience to him, that we may be raised Phil, iii, S. to the true temper of St. Paul, who counted all things but lofs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus our Lord, for whom he fuffered the lofs of all things, ana accounted them but dung, that he might win Chrift. Nor can we pretend to any true love of Jefus, except we be fenfible of the readiness of our obedience to him: as knowing what language he used to his Difciples, Johnxiv.15. If ye love me, keep my commandments; and what the 1 John v. 3. Apoftle of his bofom fpake, This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His own Difciples Mat.viii.27. Once marvelled, and faid, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the fea obey him? How much more fhould we wonder at all difobedient Chriftians, faying, What manner of men are thefe, who refuse obedience unto him whom the fenfeless creatures, the winds and Mark ix. the fea obeyed? Was the name of Jefus at firft fufficient to caft out devils? and fhall man be more refractory than they? Shall the Exorcift say to the evil Spirit, I Aas xixa3. adjure thee by the name of Jefus, and the devil give place? Shall an Apoftle fpeak unto us in the fame name, and we refufe? Shall they obey that name, which fignifieth nothing unto them? for he took not on him the nature of Angels, and fo is not their Saviour; and can Phil. ii. 8. we deny obedience unto him, who took on him the feed of Abraham, and became obedient to death, even the death of the Cross, for us, that he might be raised to full power and abfolute dominion over us, and by that power be enabled at laft to fave us, and in the mean time to rule and govern us, and exact the highest Phil. ii. 9, veneration from us? For God hath highly exalted him,

38.

Lukeix. 49.

10.

and

and given him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jefus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.

Having thus declared the original of the name Jefus, the means and ways by which he which bare it expreffed fully the utmost fignification of it; we may now clearly deliver, and every particular Chriftian eafily understand what it is he fays, when he makes his Confeffion in these words, I believe in Jefus : which may be not unfitly in this manner defcribed. I believe not only that there is a God who made the World; but I acknowledge and profess that I am fully perfuaded of this, as of a certain and infallible truth, that there was and is a Man, whofe name by the ministry of an Angel was called Jefus, of whom, particularly Joshua, the firft of that name, and all the reft of the Judges and Saviours of Ifracl, were but types. I believe that Jefus, in the highest and utmost importance of that name, to be the Saviour of the world; inafmuch as he hath revealed to the fons of men the only way for the Salvation of their Souls, and wrought the fame way out for them by the virtue of his blood, obtaining remiffion for finners, making reconciliation for enemies, paying the price of redemption for captives; and fhall at laft himfelf actually confer the fame Salvation, which he hath promulged and procured, upon all those which unfeignedly and ftedfaftly believe in him. I acknowledge there is no other way to Heaven befide that which he hath fhewn us, there is no other means which can procure it for us but his blood, there is no other perfon which fhall confer it on us but himfelf. And with this full acknowledgment, I believe in fefus.

And